Scary Oldershausen Castle: Dilapidated heritage and dangerous secret!

Scary Oldershausen Castle: Dilapidated heritage and dangerous secret!

What makes a detail that belongs in the history books? The mysterious buildings are lined up in a Lower Saxon idyll, but one very special one can be found in the municipality of Kalefeld. The Oldershausen Castle tells the story of the journey through time like no other. The impressive building was built around 1500 by Adam von Oldershausen. Originally planned as a noble residence, the roots of the castle are deeply rooted in history.

But the actual castle construction, in the neo-Gothic style, only followed in the middle of the 19th century. Work began in 1853 and four years later, in 1859, the first building, designed by Emil Hackländer, was completed. Over the years the castle was expanded several times, most recently in 1877 by Burchard and Cuno von Oldershausen. At that time, a side wing and an impressive terrace were created, orchestrated by Edwin Oppler.

An eventful history

The von Oldershausen family lived in the castle until 1945 - and with it part of its flourishing history. However, the end of the Second World War brought a dramatic change: the building was confiscated by the Allies and used as accommodation for troops and displaced persons. In 1947, the Osterode district took over the castle and turned it into a sanatorium, which received the unfortunate nickname “Hustenburg”. From 1974 to 1985 it served as a rehabilitation program for mentally and physically impaired children before it finally became private property.

Since then, Oldershausen Castle has stood empty and is rapidly falling into disrepair. Although it was once considered a landmark, nature has long since returned and cast its spell on the once magnificent building. Today the castle is a habitat for bats and owls, impressively showing that nature always takes its place. But the dangers should not be underestimated either: entering the site is prohibited as there is an acute risk of collapse and the risk of dilapidated floors and falling bricks.

Current developments and monument protection

In recent years there have been repeated attempts to save the castle - most recently even by an owner from Wiesbaden. He was brought on board in 2005 to maintain and renovate the building. But the monument protection was lifted in 2019 and planned conversions also failed. Despite these setbacks, information about the castle can still be found in the Monument Atlas of Lower Saxony, which was launched in 2020. This project aims to digitize Lower Saxony's monument landscape across the board and make it accessible to interested citizens.

If you look back at the building history of Oldershausen Castle, it becomes clear how many faces this place has had. Even if the castle on the southern edge of the village of Kalefeld-Oldershausen is fading in importance, it remains a piece of history that can be told again and again - even if it only happens from a distance.

Visitors from Braunschweig must plan to travel around 50 minutes by car or use public transport, which takes them via Hildesheim and Bodenburg. It remains to be hoped that new concepts may be developed in the future to preserve this cultural heritage and make it accessible to a wider public.